While some mothers like to simply let things take its course when it comes to pregnancy, you really can’t help but be conscious about certain things, especially if you’re experiencing pregnancy weight gain week by week.
There is also the added necessity of monitoring your weight gain to ensure that your pregnancy will go as smoothly as possible.
There is a very common misconception that a pregnant woman would have to ‘eat for two’ in order to meet the requirements of her growing baby.
While there seems to be some logic behind this, you really don’t have to literally eat for two, for while you will need some extra calories to meet the daily nutrient requirement of your growing child, you’ll only need to add approximately 100 to 300 calories daily – a very little addition to your diet during your pregnancy.
Pregnancy Weight Gain Week By Week
Most women make the very common mistake of literally eating for two, resulting in significant pregnancy weight gain, often more than the allotted weight gain permissible by their doctor.
For some women, weight gained during pregnancy should be closely monitored not only for the sake of optimal pregnancy but also to prevent any health complications.
This is extremely true for women who have high blood pressure or who have a history of cardiovascular disease.
Maintaining optimal pregnancy weight gain also ensures that complications such as the very slight but possible risk of suffocating the developing baby in fats are avoided.
Perhaps the main reason why women often pay so much attention to pregnancy weight gain is that they are conscious of how their figure will be affected after the pregnancy.
They are not amiss in thinking that excessive weight gain during pregnancy can result in flab or weight gain after pregnancy.
But if you’re conscious about being able to transition easily from pregnancy to your old self without excess baggage, then following this quick pregnancy weight gain week by week guide may help:
In most cases of pregnancy, women who are of average weight will tend to gain some 25 to 35 pounds of extra weight, women who are underweight should gain some 28 to 40 extra pounds, while overweight women may only need some 15 to 25 pounds of extra weight gain, if not at all.
For medical reasons, a pregnant woman may be asked to maintain a close eye on pregnancy weight gain week by week to prevent possible complications, and this curtails an often strict focus on the overall caloric intake and dietary choices of the mother.
In order to maintain an optimum pregnancy weight gain, you should customize your diet to suit your body type, while never forgetting the need to provide optimal naturally-occurring nourishment for the growing baby.
While you may think it a great idea to gain weight fast by chugging down on soda or eating your fill of cake, a more wholesome diet of fruits, grains, veggies, and meat in moderate amounts would be the obviously better choice.
Because there are certain foods that help enhance the growth and development of your child, integrating them into your general diet is advised, although you should still be careful in keeping watch over your pregnancy weight gain.
The average pregnancy weight gain should be gradual, with the process beginning somewhere in the first three to four months of pregnancy.
An optimal weight gain is typically somewhere between 2 to 4 pounds.
Pregnancy weight gain will then progressively increase with one pound per week throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.
In the event that you’re expecting twins, your weight gain will be at an average of 35 to 45 pounds in total, averaging at 1 ½ pound weekly until the terminus of your pregnancy. This weight gain will begin, as usual, three months into the pregnancy.
If you’re wondering where all this extra weight goes, it’s actually pretty simple.
There’s the baby of course, which takes up approximately 8 pounds of extra weight, and the placenta takes up another two or three pounds from your overall weight gain, while the amniotic fluids take up a similar count.
Breast tissue also contributes to your pregnancy weight gain as they become fuller due to impending lactation, weighing in at 3 pounds.
The blood supply that you share with your child also takes up much of your overall weight gain at 4 pounds.
Due to the growth of the baby, your pregnancy weight gain will give the uterus some 2 to 5 pounds of additional weight, while storages of fats for delivery, breastfeeding, and added stores of energy comprise the remaining 5 to 9 pounds making a total of 25 to 35 pounds of average pregnancy weight gain week by week.
Depending on the advice of your health care provider, you may be tasked to lose or gain weight for the benefit of your growing baby. If you are underweight, then eating frequently will help hasten the pregnancy weight gain week by week.
Eating regular meals a day, usually divided into five to six smaller meals daily should jumpstart your metabolism enough to gain more weight faster.
While downing large amounts of sweets can be bad, a moderate consumption of fattening foods like chocolate, ice cream, and nuts doesn’t only elevate your mood and help keep you happy – it can also help with your overall pregnancy weight gain week by week.
Pregnancy Weight Gain Week By Week – The Conclusion
Ditching the social fallacies that demonize weight gain doesn’t only help you ease into the wonders of being a mother, but it also gives you deeper insight into how our bodies are specifically designed without the supposed ‘flaws’ that society so erroneously attributes with nature.
Optimizing your pregnancy weight gain week by week through monitoring a healthy diet will aid in taking care of yourself and your growing baby.
